Grand Line - Retry
by NotCringyNickname
Summary: World around the Straw Hats Pirates start to crumble, after the Reverie goes terribly wrong. To get a chance to save their friends, they send their memories more than two years in the past or at least they try to. Mental time travel story.


Author Notes: So, as far as I know, here is the place for commentaries, jokes, explanations and so on. Right? Neat.

Some time ago I was writing a time travel story. It wasn't a fan fiction, but while doing research for my writing I accidentally found Second Wind by Lost Samurai. I blame Tv Tropes. Anyway, it made me go back to One Piece after… a few years, I'm not really sure how many.

While I do write short stories, I have never written one that was a fan fiction or one in English for that matter. So it's my first in for both of these. Now before we start, let's say few things in advance. This is a peggy sue story or a mental time travel story if you prefer. Why would you be interested in it, if there are many others?

My story starts at the Reverse Mountain, I believe one cannot really make much of the East Blue Saga in that kind of a story, but there will be flashbacks to important moments of it.

Every chapter will be centred around a single character. It doesn't mean it will be written from that character PoV, but most of the chapter will be happening around said character and restrict narration to not being fully reliable. Yet, as you can see here in the first chapter, there will be some segments of other people.

There are many mental time travellers, but how much exactly they got back from the future varies. Some are just themselves from the future in younger bodies. Some just kept something of their skill. Finally, some will just get dreams and gut feelings based on future events.

There will be some pairings, after I decide which of them I want and can make in a realistic way. Also I am 98% sure there won't be any harem, unless you count Robin's Devil Fruit powers.

Oh, and there will not be any big armada with all defeated enemies any soon. Just a little bit bigger crew and some more allies.

Now, the one last thing. Here is the point, where I say that "I don't own One Piece." I don't get why these disclaimers are here, as this is literally a site for fan fiction, but whatever. I may as well keep that tradition alive in this fic.

Enjoy

/

They were chased. Vivi was running alongside a girl with long red hair. _Friend. Nami. _\- she thought. Behind them tanned slinger, talking cloud and a skeleton swordsman tried to buy some time against men in white uniforms. Princess of Alabastra knew that they need time, so that help could come, but it was too late anyway. If agents of Aegis were sent to kill her, that meant Alabastra was either already burned to the ground or next in the line. She lost, she failed. Tears started to flow on her face and she barely kept on running. It was futile anyway.

Just after crossing the corner, her ginger friend stopped with a panicked stare. One of the agents was right before them. The giraffe-man in white suit would be an epitome of grotesque if not for the fact that he was going to kill the runaways. Then, without warning, green-haired man with three swords crashed into him.

„Take her from there, witch!" he shouted. „Do you think it will end any differently this time, long neck?"

„I certainly hope so." answered the man in white, while drawing two swords, which started to turn black. „I did not get that promotion for nothing."

„Right. I will beat you faster this time." Were the last words Vivi heard as her companion dragged her away.

At this moment Vivi woke up, sweating and panting quite heavily. _Just a dream_. - She thought. _I am here, at Whiskey Peak and no one is trying to kill me. Everything is good. _Her efforts to calm herself were cut short by a bitter realisation. R_oyal Shichibukai is just trying to take over my country and there aren't any good pirates that will fall from the sky to help me save it._

These dreams started few months ago. She always remembered something from them. In her dreams there was a bunch of pirates that became her friends. She remembered the girl with orange hair from many of them, but in tonight's dream she had longer hair and was bustier than usually. There were others too. She remembered riding Karoo alongside a cheerful man wearing a straw hat, observing green-haired swordsman training routine, blond man in a suit always cooking her the best food, making cute reindeer-boy happy and dragging the slinger from the last dream by his long-nose.

Sometimes she liked to hope that there was something in these dreams. That Alabastra will be saved from Crocodile. But she could not just count on that, especially that even if Mr. 0 was stopped in her dreams, Alabastra was still in danger in them because of World Government. That was a strange idea, but her dreams probably just connected Sir Crocodile with it.

Feeling that she is not going to get any more sleep anyway, she started to dress up. Today was the day to get the damned whale.

/

Just as Vivi and her partner-in-crime were going to open the door to whale's stomach and start their ambush, they heard a man screaming eagerly behind them. Teenager wearing a straw hat, red vest and blue short was half running and half falling on them with a big grin on his face.

„W-who's that Mr. 9?!" she asked in panic, with a feeling of deja vu.

„I have no idea, Miss Wednesday!" he barely managed to respond before they both realized that the stranger will crash into them. So they did the only logical thing and screamed.

The next thing she knew was that all three of them were in air and there was a sea of what was most likely stomach acid below them. Mr. 9's jaw was as down as anatomically possible and the straw-hatter seemed to control his fall a little to catch onto a ship floating there. _Wait, ship, here?! _Quick question went through her mind as she fell into the liquid.

Surprisingly, neither she nor Mr. 9 melted in the stomach sea. People from the ship dragged them onto deck and even the waves seemed to calm down. _So far, so good._ She thought before seeing that the caravel she was on had a jolly roger wearing a straw hat for a flag.

„Mr. 9 these people are pirates." she whispered as she and her tattooed partner were put against ship's railing. _Pirates that I recognise, but that doesn't make sense. _

„Y-yes I know, Miss Wednesday. But they seem understanding enough." he answered.

There were six people around them. Green-haired swordsman stood leaning on railing. Tanned guy with a long nose was standing behind a blond girl who was looking at Vivi's and Mr. 9's wounds. Blond man in a black suit was standing near, smoking and smiling at Vivi. Guy in straw hat was sitting on railing. Close to him was a thin girl with orange hair. She was too similar to Vivi's dream friend for princess's comfort. Hell, all of them were too similar. The only difference was that unknown blonde girl.

_What's going on. Why are they here? Why are they real? _She was rightfully shocked from meeting people she dreamt of without even knowing them. She felt creepy shivers and she had no clue about what is happening.

„I won't let you lay even a single finger on Laboon, for as long as I live!" shouted the old man, wearing flowery outfit. He was standing on a metal platform just by the door they entered by.

„Oh, he's back." said the guy with a sling, while straw-hatter just smiled.

Seeing him, Mr. 9 reached for his weapon, while Vivi hesistated for a moment in her confusion.

„We are inside the whale now, it'll be only too easy to blast a hole in its stomach." He stated shooting. „We won't let you interfere in our whaling business any longer!"

While the man with nines tattooed on his face managed to shoot, Vivi was too slow. Just after he finished his declaration, they were knocked down by hits of the straw hat guy.

/

The next thing Princess of Alabastra knew was that she and Mr. 9 were in the water. With a moment of fear that they were thrown into the acid, Vivi and her partner quickly sobered up to keep themselves from drowning.

„We appear to be in a real ocean, Ms. Wednesday." tattooed man noticed gasping.

„We must've been knocked by those pirates, Mr. 9." responded Vivi. She was irritated. The mission went south and for some reason pirates from her dreams were here and it made everything worse. Whatever was happening she had even less control over the whole business.

„So, who are you guys again?" asked man in the red vest, standing above them on the caravel. He was smiling with a wide but quite sad smile and he was looking straight at Vivi.

„Why do you care? It's none of your business!" shouted Vivi in answer. Even if they were some good pirates, that could help her, it was still her job to infiltrate Baroque Works and protect Alabastra. She couldn't just tangle them in it.

„No wait, Miss Wednesday. Perhaps it is their business. As long, as they are pirates, that is." Vivi looked at Mr. 9, as he spoke. He was right, if they were to come to Whiskey Peak, they would be targeted by Baroque Works for their bounties. No rookies would pass through their deceptions and over a hundred agents.

„Y-yes, Mr. 9. Our organization may have some use for you." she backed him up, but she wasn't really sure if she should. „Prepare yourselves!"

/

„Then we bid you good day until next time, you hillbilly pirates!" shouted agent of Baroque Works, as he and Vivi swam away.

„And heed this, Crocus! That whale shall be ours for the taking soon enough!" added blue haired girl swimming along.

Luffy looked at the Log Pose left by them. It seemed that Vivi didn't remember them, but it wasn't a problem. The only trouble will be taking care of Robin, but now he can stop Croc way easier. His head started to hurt, he really didn't like to think that much, but he had to. He and his friends got another chance and he wasn't going to fail due to having lazy mind.

But there was a problem. Things were diffrent this time even if he didn't change them. He could not just expect everything to happen the same way. After all, Ussop's 'friend' for sure was not with them the last time and Luffy himself would remember if he got 'that' kiss. _Let's just hope Sanji is right about why some of us have more memories about future that others, if not then it's just a mystery memory thing. _He sighted and went to take care of Laboon. Well, this time he can give him even more hope. The whale will be so happy to meet Brook again.

/

Vivi and Mr. 9 observed the group of pirates from earlier chatting and eating with Crocus. Without their Log Pose they could not go back to Whiskey Peak.

„I can't really make out what exactly happened, but I think that woman has our Log Pose." said orange-haired agent making Vivi growl.

„How could you been so careless to drop it? We are already late with our mission and we will be in serious troble if we don't report to boss." Princess knew it was getting worse and worse, even without her secret exposed, boss of Baroque Works may decide to dispose of her if she fails her mission and then Alabastra would be doomed. _This is bad, really bad. _She thought.

"We've lost our weapons but we have no choice but to take it back by force. We can't just stand around waiting for the perfect chance any longer." he knew that they failed, but maybe if they manage to get back soon, they wouldn't at least be named traitors.

Then they heard a recognisable vulture above them.

"Shit, the Unluckies!"

"Oh no, we are too late!" They both panicked as the animal pair of agents came closer to them.

"No wait! It's all because of these damn pirates, that we are late!" shouted Vivi trying to stop the incoming air attack.

"W-We were just on our way back to make a report to the boss! We haven't betrayed the organization!" added Mr. 9, but it was of no use and the Unluckies dropped a bomb in a shape of a birthday gift on Vivi's and Mr. 9's raft.

/

_Correction, this is bad._ She and Mr. 9 could now only swim to Crocus's lighthouse. Whatever the pirates there will do to them, maybe there will be a chance of getting back to Whiskey Peak. That would be better than just drowning here.

"Your hand, Miss Wednesday?" offered blond-haired man as she climbed to the land. He was smiling at her and it seemed like he awaited them here. _Did they know, that we were observing them?_ She thought.

"Why, thank you" Vivi answered and before she could react he was leading her to the straw-hatter, sitting next to the ladder up to the lighthouse.

"I have a request. Please, take us to the Whiskey Peak" said Mr. 9 as he got himself on the land. Sitting man stood up on these words and made a wide grin.

"You will have to talk to my navigator." he answered, then he and his companion lead Vivi and Mr. 9 to the rest of pirates. After a moment of climbing, they gave the group a semi-fake story about losing their ship Vivi hoped that these pirates may be easily tricked. They wouldn't be the first group after all. Then the ginger navigator put a very smug smile on her face.

"Don't you think you ask for a bit much, Mr. 9? Especially considering you tried to kill the whale and all." she asked teasingly.

"Nami, even then we should help them get to their home, maybe they are not that bad." the blond girl cut in, holding the long-nose hand. _Softie, that's good. _Vivi thought. _Wait, Nami?! _She opened her eyes wide. Not only does the girl look like her dream friend but she has the same name too. _What's going on?_

"Just who are you guys anyway?" asked the long-nose.

"I'm a king" Mr. 9 tried to lie, using his toy crown. But it didn't really convincing as Nami just pinched his cheek, calling him liar.

"We cannot say! But please! Please take us back to our town and we'll return the favour." pleaded Vivi kneeling.

"Y-yes! We'd tell you but our organization motto is 'mystery' and so we can't tell anything more." Mr. 9 backed her up.

"Please help us out from the kindness of your hearts!" they asked in unison.

While Crocus still warned the pirates about trusting Vivi and Mr. 9, the guy in the straw hat, their captain as it seemed, decided that the pair may come along, but the orange-haired navigator will keep Mr. 9's Log Pose and she will be in charge of returning of the pair favour. That earned him a catlike smile from the smug girl.

No one seemed to protest the straw-hatter decision, but Vivi could feel a cold glare of a pirate swordsman. He looked like a predator ready to hunt its prey and Vivi knew he didn't buy their story even a bit.

/

A few moments later, they were all on the ship, getting ready to set sail. Vivi listened to a chat the pirate captain had with Crocus.

"Are you sure about this kid? Picking Whiskey Peak because of them… Here is the only place where you can choose which route you want to take, you know." said concerned Crocus. For a long moment his interlocutor was silent.

"If I don't like the route, I can always sail once around and pick another one. I will become the new Pirate King, so why not see all the Grand Line?" When he answered he seemed older. Even though his word sounded naive, there was something in them. Like he was stating a fact and he was ready to prove it. One could literally feel his will to make this come true.

Vivi wanted to see him as a fool. She really tried. But even hearing Mr. 9's giggle she couldn't. Maybe she was starting to believe in her strange dreams, even if she shouldn't. But still, she's got some hope.

"I see. Maybe you are fitting to inherit Roger's place. Your spirit and your hat seem familiar." answered Crocus before bidding them goodbye.

/

The next few days were full of typical Grand Line weather madness. Yet these pirates were way too calm for Vivi's comfort. Their swordsman would sleep through all the wild changes and storms if not for the blond cook forcibly waking him up. More than that, the captain have spent most of the time playing with the long-nose guy and his girl, only sometimes making sure, that his navigator keeps an eye on the Log Pose, no matter what.

Strange. He seemed like an idiot most of the time, but obviously he must have known about Grand Line enough to understand what horrors that sea can throw at unready sailors. Even later, it was like he felt home in this madness. _Maybe he was here before._

Well, Vivi was 'from' the Grand Line and the mad storm that have hit them just before Whiskey Peak was a bit too much for her. That ship wasn't made for sailing the Grand Line. The storm demanded a lot of work from the crew, her and Mr. 9 to stay afloat. Yet the she was sure, she heard captain's laugh during it. After the storm has passed, most of people on deck were exhausted but he was just on caravel's figurehead and Vivi could swear that he was grinning.

At least they were just before the Whiskey Peak now. With Igaram here she may make some sense about the whole situation and save her position in Baroque Works. Maybe even she will understand these dreams. After all, she had another one while on this caravel.

She and Mr. 9 used a moment when the pirates were all looking at giant cacti around the Whiskey Peak to leave the ship and swim to the town. They had to prepare for the newcomers and more importantly, they had to make a raport.

/

Vivi felt that this dream was connected to the last one, just before going for Laboon. She was on ship, which was a part of a small flotilla. On her left she could see a big ship full of armed women but many of them seemed like they were anything but sailors. _Runaways. _A thought went through Vivi's mind. _No, refugees._ She corrected herself seeing how hurt and broken most of them seemed. On her right was another ship. It had few dozen pirates and a figurehead looking like a man wearing a straw hat.

_Strange._ Vivi thought, but she knew it wasn't the point. With her, on the third were some of the people from her dreams. Now, after she met them outside the dreams, she was sure. There was something very real to what she was dreaming and she won't ignore it, but she has to understand what are they. Maybe someone with a Devil Fruit is messing with her. That would be an easy explanation.

Then Princess of Alabastra felt hurt, more than that she felt a big loss. Beside her pirate friends there were some Alabastrans on deck. They went with her to Reverie and now they don't have a home to come back. She didn't know why, but she was sure of that during the dream. Something horrible happened.

Seeing as she started to cry, a fishman holding the helm called Nami to help her. Well, at least she still had her friends and a suspiciously high number of ex-Shichibukai among allies. _Ironic._

She woke up with that exact idea. To make sure that Crocodile will fail and will become an ex-Shichibukai. Well, a girl can dream, can't she?


End file.
